Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht was born on 10 February 1898 in Augsburg and died on 14 August 1956 in Berlin. From 1917 to 1918, he studied natural sciences, medicine, and literature at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He was forced to interrupt his studies in 1918, however, after being drafted into military service as a medic at an Augsburg military hospital. Brecht began writing plays while still a student. From 1922, he worked as a dramaturge at the Munich Kammerspiele. From 1924 to 1926, he was director at Max Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater in Berlin. In 1933, as the Nazis rose to power, Brecht left Berlin with his family and friends and fled via Prague, Vienna, and Zurich to Denmark, later moving to Sweden, Finland, and the US. In addition to plays, Brecht also wrote articles for several émigré magazines in Prague, Paris, and Amsterdam. In 1948, he returned from exile to East Berlin, where he worked as an author and director until his death.